Car Corner

The recent 2007 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) conducted by J.D. Power and Associates shows that Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus luxury division and General Motors’ Buick brand ranked as the highest vehicle nameplates in terms of dependability. J.D. Power and Associates said that this is “the first time that another brand ties with Lexus for the highest-rank position.”

So how does J.D. Power and Associates rank these vehicles? Well, J.D. Power staff based their rankings for the 2007 Vehicle Dependability Study by measuring the problems stated by vehicle owners in three years of ownership. J.D. Power calculates these problems with the unit called “problems per 100 vehicles” or PP100. J.D. Power and Associates conducted a survey from more than 50,000 owners and gathered the data from January to April 2007. Among the tested vehicle brands, Buick and Lexus scored a tie with only 145 PP100. This only shows that Lexus offers high quality auto parts like Lexus ball joints. Other brands like Cadillac, Mercury and Honda also performed well in the PP100 ranking.

“With three non-premium nameplates — Buick, Honda and Mercury – ranking within the top five, and particularly with Buick tying with Lexus for the top rank, consumers seeking a vehicle with strong dependability have good choices at various price levels. Consumers don’t necessarily need to pay premium prices to obtain high quality and dependability.” said Neal Oddes, director of product research and analysis for J.D. Power and Associates.

Oddes added: “Automakers may reap numerous benefits from producing dependable vehicles – not only in higher residual values, decreased warranty costs and opportunities for remarketing their vehicles, but also in higher customer satisfaction and increased likelihood of customers recommending or purchasing newer dependable models.”This is why it is especially important for automakers to successfully launch new vehicle models with high initial quality and appeal — models that perform well in these regards tend to exhibit particularly strong dependability later in their life cycle.”

J.D. Power and Associates also ranked vehicle models for each segment. Toyota’s Lexus brand dominated the list and earned five segment awards including the GS 300/GS430 (Midsize Premium Car), GX 470 (Midsize Premium MAV), LS 430 (Large Premium Car), LX 470, (Large Premium MAV) and the SC 430 for the Premium Sporty Car segment.

Toyota models also performed well in the segment awards. The Japanese automaker obtained four awards for the RAV 4 and Sequoia sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and Tacoma and Tundra pick up truck models. Other brands in the list that earned segment award include Ford, Honda Oldsmobile, Buick, Chevrolet, Infiniti, Mazda and Scion.

Oddes concluded:

“As owners experience vehicle problems — particularly ones that require components to be replaced — they are less likely to repurchase or recommend their current model. Automakers can improve upon customer loyalty by working closely with their component suppliers to monitor quality, since failure of a component ultimately reflects upon the quality of the vehicle brand in the minds of consumers.”

Cars are a passion with so many different people. For these people cars can be old, new, antique, kit cars, exotic cars and even model cars. You may wonder what model cars are and how they are made. The most important item that is needed to make these model cars it that of model car kits. These car kits are available in a variety of places and at various price ranges.

You can however derive great satisfaction from building your very own car from model car kits. These kits will have the necessary items and parts for you to plan the type of car that you are going to build. Now as you are making a brand new car of your own, you can make the choice of making this model car resemble the well known cars. You could on the other hand choose to create an entirely new type of car.

For both of these types of car choices the model car kits have all of the help you will require. While these car kits have the items you need there are other parts that you will need to buy. These various parts will help to provide your model car with the unique look you require from it.

To buy these different parts and accessories will not be that difficult but you will need to look at these items from model car kits and other kits with care before you make the final payment. Before you start out with this process there are some things that you will need to do.

These involve having a good idea of what the end process of the car will look like. You will also need to take into account that as you are making this car from parts and model car kits of a number of different cars there will be times when extensive testing is necessary. To help you make the model car there are groups of people you can contact.

From these numerous people the advice that you get will help you out when you encounter difficulties. You can also find DVDs and videos for model car kits that will describe the entire building process. You should look at these many different instructional ways for help when you get stuck.

You will find that inspiration for a fantastic new look will come once you have gained fresh new input and a new way of seeing the final look in your model car. The many different model car kits can help you to achieve the model car that you will be driving around the city in.

Are you searching for a way of fixing your Toyota Camry engine without incurring many expenses while maintaining reliability, quality and comfort? The reason you decided to get a quality comfort in the form of a Toyota Camry is a sure reason that you are after pure engine performance satisfaction. It is something that will definitely change the phase of your life and get you down to the road to enjoy your ride.

Toyota Camry engine makes the vehicle to be considered a workhorse, since it has been consistent in high performance for about 25 years of its existence. The vehicle was launched sometimes in the early eighties while even today the Toyota Camry engine has continued to wield a charm for many, mostly those after comfortable rides and enjoying their peace of mind in the process. There is no doubt that Toyota Camry is one of the evolved results from the Toyota car Company, with the designs, appearances and engine having evolved over the years.

If you have Toyota Camry engine replacement need, you might want to checkout the wider array of such used engines still in perfect condition and tested to understand their longevity and level of performance and durability. In essence, the engines are tested before you get to buy them, promising that you will have an identical engine to that you had earlier.

The Toyota Camry engine does not affect the distinct variants of the Toyota Camry, such as the LE entry level, Luxurious XLE or the Sporty SE. Even if you are searching for an affordable engine such that it is found on the gas-electric hybrid there is no problem since you will easily get it. The engines vary in other ways too, such as V6 engine of 3.5 liters that powers a large number of Toyota Camry high-end variants, while the models at the entry level have 2.4-liter Toyota engine powering them. A new engine might not be as cheap as you might think but with a used engine in great condition, you might continue exploring with the Camry comfort.

Volkswagen engines are also high performing while the Volkswagen effect has left lots of Americans and others across the world fully charmed. In essence, the Volkswagen has been unrivaled in terms of status the vehicle has had among the ordinary people. It is considered a classic vehicle and the love of many. Adolf Hitler might have been cruel but he is full credited for getting the German people a car they could afford as he aimed at a better political mileage by earning the support of the people.

The directive by Hitler to get German people a great, affordable car gave rise to the Volkswagen engines, made in a way that they could last longer than most engines. The vehicle was not a result of sheer innovation, but of pure necessity, where researcher was done across America prior to producing the first Volkswagen prototype. Perhaps the simple nature of the vehicle and its robust engine is what still endears it to many people today.

The competition between automakers cannot be overemphasized. As the industry gets more modernized, the competition becomes tougher and tougher as well. For this reason, Lexus is releasing something tough to compete with the demands and challenges in the auto industry. The new flagship of Lexus is named LS460, which is designed to achieve a more athletic and powerful look.

Toyota has announced beforehand that it will be releasing a new flagship and according to some critics it seems that whatever Toyota decides to do inevitably comes true. This is also true with its new LS. Previous versions of LS prove to be good cars. This is the very reason why said model is further developed to come up with powerful new LS.

LS460 is composed of proven and tested Lexus car parts that create confident and stylish car that can serve as an ideal rival to other outstanding cars in the market. Lexus LS460’s ancestors were designed to achieve an air of Mercedes feel. On the other hand, recent model of 460 has purely Lexus feel. However, with regards to RX models, the latter has adapted new style called L-finesse. This design system was also integrated in Lexus LS460.

L-finesse is the system which is responsible for Lexus LS460 sporty and lithe appearance. According to some critics, they find it difficult to find flaws in said car. Indeed, Toyota’s worth is getting more and more recognized globally. The Japanese automaker is setting a good standing with regards to its car’s quality and performance. In fact, with LS460, designers and engineers studied the refractive properties so as to mimic some worthy attributes.

Features of Lexus new flagship include 8-speed automatic transmission, APGS or Advanced Parking Guidance System, free video Podcast called Drive, rear passenger seats that reclines up to 45 degrees, high-quality 9-inch display, leather and word furniture, keyless ignition, radar assisted cruise control, Mark Levinson sound system that records CDs to an internal hard disc, ABS brakes, stability and traction controls, and up to 11 airbags to promote safety in case of collision. Said car will arrive in October.

If you love sheer power, and you want a car that produces 1,000 bhp, you now have three to choose from – and that is without going to the tuners like Ruf ofr Callaway, who will get this much power from engines that are currently in the 500- 700 bhp range. The tjree in the 1000 bhp club are the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, the Bristol Fighter T, and the Koenigsegg CCXR. Theoretically, these are all good for 250 mph in theory, but not in practice.
First on the scene was the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, the world’s fastest and most powerful exotic car, with a top speed of 248 mph.
Engineering masterpiece
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is quite an engineering masterpiece, with a W-16 8.0 liter cylinder engine mid-mounted driving through a seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox to all four wheels – four-wheel drive is definitely a good idea with this amount of power. Not only is it immensely fast, but with four-wheel drives it is very stable. It has ceramic brake discs and an air brake to help you slow down from over 125 mph.
A very surprising addition to the 1,000 bhp plus club is the Bristol Fighter T, which has an engine developing 1,012 bhp, just 11 more than the Bugatti! This is a front-engine, rear-drive car designed for high-speed touring.
To be precise, the V-10 engine in the Fighter T whacks out 1,012 bhp at 5,600 rpm. Bristol says that the top speed of the car is around 270 mph, but it has a limiter at 225 mph, which is just 4,.500 rpm in top! Not many will be made, making this a really exotic car.
Acceleration is not as good as you might expect – or maybe it is just modesty at Bristol Cars – at ‘under 3.5 seconds’ whereas the Bugatti Veyron is well under 3 seconds. The difference is largely academic – like the top speeds – but a mid-engined four-wheel drive car will accelerate more quickly than a front-engined rear-drive car. The Bristol Fighter just doesn’t have enough weight on the rear wheels to get under 3 seconds.
Twin turbo V-10
How did they get this huge amount of power? Well, like the other Bristol Fighters, the T has a tuned Chrysler V-10 engine of 8 liters. For the Fighter T they have added a pair of water-cooled turbochargers to almost double power so they could exceed that magic 1,000 bhp figure, getting 1,012 bhp at 5,600 rpm, with 1,036 lb ft (1,400 Nm) of torque at 4,500 rpm. That is quite a high speed for maximum torque, but the engine still produces a massive 800 lb ft (1,080 Nm) of torque from 3,000 rpm, upward.
The Bristol Fighter S has a top speed of over 200 mph, partly owing to good aerodynamics, but The Fighter T is an absolute stormer with a power-to-weight ratio of about 600 bhp per ton and a top speed of well, you name it!
Koenigsegg CCXR runs on ethanol
Now, along comes Koenigsegg with the Koenigsegg CCXR, based on the CCX supercar, but now this version is able to run on ethanol biofuel – E85. Because ethanol has an octane rating of over 100 RON – like racing fuel in the 30s – it gives more power than gasoline, as Saab has demonstrated.
In the Koenigsegg CCXR, power is up from 806 bhp – more than enough for almost everyone – to 1,018 bhp! Peak torque is an incredible 780 lb ft (1,060 Nm) at 6,100 rpm. That’s 25% more power.
With ethanol, power increases of 15-25% can be obtained for any engine so long as it is optimised with high compression ratio and other changes. In other words, don’t just pull up at a gas station, put ethanol in your tank and get 20% more power. It doesn’t work unless the engine is designed to run on it.
But that is not so difficult to do, and with George Bush trying to get more ethanol used in the USA, expect more to follow this route. After all, almost everyone loves power, even if they drive a car that is not very fast.
John Hartley is editor of http://www.fast-autos.com, an online magazine devoted to fast cars and supercars, where you can read the latest articles about fast cars. He has written from many of the world’s top auto magazines, and has written many books about cars and the auto industry, including ‘Suspension and Steering Q&A’ and ‘The Electronics Revolution in the Motor Industry’.

If you drive a Toyota Camry, you sure consider purchasing an extended warranty. An extended warranty will save you thousands of dollars if your Toyota Camry ever needs to be repaired. If you are an American resident, use the link below to get a FREE quote for an extended warranty. Toyota Camry Extended Warranty ->

** Click Here to Get A FREE Quote for a Toyota Camry Extended Warranty **

Many people may wonder: I have not had any problems with my Toyota Camry so far. Do I really need an extended warranty? The answer is simple – Yes. Every vehicle on the road is open to the possibility of having a mechanical failure. The older your Camry gets and the more miles that are put on it, the more likely it is that a breakdown occurs. Unfortunately, Toyota’s warranty is only there to protect you for a limited amount of time. Components such as computer-related items could fail regardless of your driving habits and with the complexity of vehicles today one major repair often costs more than the extended warranty itself. An extended warranty will be there for you when you need it the most once Toyota is no longer there to protect you from high repair costs. If you drive a Toyota Camry, you owe it to yourself to look at purchasing an extended warranty from the link below:

Click Here to Receive a FREE Toyota Camry Extended Warranty Quote Online

You made a smart decision to buy, lease or rent a Toyota Camry – now make another smart decision and see if a Toyota Camry Extended Warranty is right for you. It only takes seconds to request a free quote and it you could save thousands of dollars in the future.

Toyota Camry recalls have many drivers concerned. The fact remains that the Toyota Camry is an excellent vehicle, but every automobile has its problems at one time or another. Whether your Toyota Camry is from 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010, you should learn about Toyota Camry recalls. Toyota Camry Recalls – Toyota Camry Recall & Warranty Information

The best way to save money on car repairs is to consider buying an extended warranty. This will protect you in case something happens to your Toyota Camry which is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty or a recall.

** Click Here to Get A Free Quote on an Extended Warranty for Your Toyota Camry **

Some people don’t see the value of an extended warranty for your Toyota. The problem is that even the highest quality vehicles have issues which will need to be repaired and not all of these repairs are covered by recalls or Toyota’s regular warranty. You could be stuck paying thousands of dollars for repairs just to keep your Toyota Camry on the road. Don’t risk paying a huge repair bill – consider getting an extended warranty instead:

Toyota Camry Extended Warranty – Get A Free Quote in Less Than 5 Minutes!

New recalls for Toyota vehicles are released every few months. An extended warranty gives you peace of mind and can save you thousands of dollars if just one thing goes wrong with your Camry. You made an intelligent decision to buy or lease your Toyota Camry – now make another smart decision and see if a Toyota Camry Extended Warranty is right for you.

Have you ever wanted to own your own exotic car? Dream about it day and night, wondering what it would be like behind the wheel of that convertible or exotic car. Feeling the leather steering wheel between your hands, the engine revving, heart racing anxiously to feel the torque of the engine once you hit that gas pedal, is a reel rush. An exotic car is definitely an exciting car.

Yes, I want my own exotic car. How about you? While many of us can not afford the high price of an exotic car, there are alternative ways to owning one. We can own the spirit of the car. If we surround ourselves with the spirit of the car it should provide us with a great way to own the cars spirit. We can do this through a couple of ways.

We can die cast replica’s of the car. Place it on our desk and enjoy it. Find as many exotic car photos as you can, and surround yourself with them. Build a shrine dedicated to this masterpiece of modern machinery. This in many ways can help you enjoy the spirit of the car.

One of my favorite things to do is to find the best exotic car wallpaper that I can find and dress up my desktop with it. If I find the right car wallpaper for it, it will literally jump off the screen. This way no matter what I am doing on my computer I am always reminded of what a beautiful masterpiece it is. I can enjoy it at any hour of any day.

Finding the right photo is probably the most important aspect. You can spend hours and hours looking for a good car wallpaper and end up with nothing but a poor pixilated image. It is very important to find a high resolution car wallpaper. If you don’t, you will end up seeing nothing but squares as opposed to smooth lines. This will never help you capture the essence of your dream car. It would not do it justice.

There are a few locations online that you can locate just such quality car wallpapers. Conducting a simple search on Google can usually produce some decent results. If you type in the name of your dream car plus the word wallpaper you might be able to find the right combination of resolution and imagery that you are looking for.

I know this is no consolation to owning the real thing, but for some people it will be as close as we are going to get. With prices of cars rising rapidly, it might be very difficult to ever enjoy our dream car. So why not own the next best thing, the car’s spirit.

If you are looking for places to find good car photos or quality exotic car wallpaper click here.

The Lexus IS 250 was named the Best Executive Car at the AXA Northern Ireland Car of the Year awards. The awards, which are sponsored by AXA Insurance, were presented by members of the Ulster Motoring Writers Association (UMWA) at a prestigious ceremony held in Belfast on 15th March 2007.

During the awards ceremony, the Chairman of the Ulster Motoring Writers’ Association, Jim McCauley, said: “When Lexus decided to challenge the dominant German brands in the executive sector, they knew from the onset that they could introduce levels of refinement and quality never before experienced in this class. Each model further typifies the excellence of the brand and the IS 250 is a worthy class winner.”

The Lexus IS, a series of executive cars produced by the luxury division of the Toyota Motor Corp., was introduced to rival the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Nissan Skyline/Infiniti G35 sports sedans. In Japan, the car was originally sold as the Toyota Altezza.

The Toyota Altezza was launched in October 1998 while the Lexus IS 200 debuted in Europe in 1999 and in North America as the IS 300 in 2000. The first generation car was powered by I6. The second generation, powered by a V6 mated to Lexus cold air intake, debuted in 2006. A high-performance V8 variant was introduced by the automaker this year. According to Lexus, the “IS” designation stands for “Intelligent Sport.”

Separately, the automaker plans to expand its hybrid technology in crossovers. At present, Lexus is studying a plan to manufacture new vehicles that would boost further its fast-rising product lines. The automaker is now conducting market research on a potential compact hybrid crossover with distinctive body style. “Lexus does not intend to stop growing,” said Bob Carter, the division’s general manager. “We have not reached our limit.”

The upcoming Lexus crossover hybrid could be likened to the LF-X concept that has been around since 2003. The Lexus LF-X concept rides on a 116.5-inch wheelbase. The vehicle is 194.3 inches longer than Lexus’ GX 470 SUV.

The compact and subcompact segment is getting crowded. The Ford Motor Co., for one, is about to release a subcompact in the United States. Ford’s global product chief said that the Ford brand’s next-generation B-car will be the same around the world. The car will be introduced in the US to fill the subcompact category of the automaker.

There will be slight differences in vehicle tuning among markets, Ford’s Derrick Kuzak said. “Roads are different in China than they are in Germany than they are in the United States,” he added.

Additionally, Infiniti also will be introducing a redesigned full-size size luxury sport utility vehicle which will go on sale next month. The redesigned QX56 features new front and rear fascias, fog lights and 20-inch chromed aluminum-alloy wheels, a power-folding third-row 60/40 split seat and a sound system with a 9.5-gigabyte Music Box hard drive. The SUV is powered by a .6-liter V-8 engine that generates 320 horsepower.

Another threat to the segment is the cheaper Mitsubishi Lancer, which is now priced at $14,615. This amount is actually $589 lesser than its predecessor. The new model is given more standard safety features like the driver’s knee air bag. The Mitsubishi Lancer comes in three trim lines: the DE, ES and sport-tuned GTS. The base ES is priced at $16,615 and the GTS at $18,115. All prices include shipping.

Exotic car clubs are for those of us who are enthusiastic about exotic cars and all they have to offer. There are many exotic car clubs across the country that cater to enthusiasts of exotic cars, and here are a few of the best.
First up is the Classic Car Club in Manhattan, New York. With a joining fee of $1,500 and a membership fee of $7,000 $10,500 annually, this clubs motto is All the fun, none of the hassle. This exotic car club even has been featured on VH1s Fabulous 40 in 2006. Another option to pay your membership fees to be in this exotic car club: Pay a one time lifetime membership fee of $55,000!
The club has more than two dozen exotic cars on hand, and they have a goal of 80 cars. Their collection has been called one of the nicest in New York, and some of the cars to their name include Porche, Lotus, Rolls Royce, and Ferrari. Most of the cars that this club has cannot be found anywhere else. There is no such thing as cheap replicas in this club.
The Exotic Car Country Club in Florida is famous for its large cash flow and love for classic and exotic cars. The membership fees range from $100,000 to $250,000, and monthly fees are from $1,600 to $1,800. The exotic car club will pick up and deliver a model, as long as you pay for delivery, the Exotic Car Country Club will pay for the return shipping. The club will deliver and pick up cars throughout the country, just dont keep them longer than three months.
The LuxShare Auto Club in Evansville, Indiana is one of the greatest exotic car clubs in the country. The city has an established Panoz dealership in Buxton Motorsports. The enrollment fee is $250 for this exotic car club, and the annual fee is $7,250 to $9,000 for premium membership status. Even though the club is fairly new, with only one Porsche Cayman S, the exotic car club needs to gain members to gain cars, and gain cars to gain members, so this great little exotic car club will gain momentum and power before you know it.
These are just three of the many exotic car clubs in the country, and each and every one is unique and has their own dynamite collection of cars. The fees vary depending on the clubs, but chances are pretty good that you can find an exotic car club that suits you perfectly.